Disguise
by roguehobbit
Summary: One-shot. Chrono thinks about the act he puts on for the benefit of those around him.


One-shot.

Disguise.

Summery: Chrono thinks about the act he puts on for the benefit of those around him.

Disclaimer: Chrono Crusade (c) Daisuke Moriyama, not me, fortunately for all concerned.

Special thanks to Auramistealia, who always makes time to beta read, whether she has homework or not. :)

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At first, he felt like he was always being watched.

Wherever he went, whether or not he was accompanied by his contractor, he could sense eyes on him. Always watching. Cautious, waiting, and scared.

When he was alone, it was worse. The feelings behind the staring were more heightened, and accompanied by a simmering sense of hostility right under the surface.

In order to survive, to placate these emotions, he had to act- to be something else: something harmless that would inspire benevolence and gain him the one thing that he desired most in these situations: anonymity.

In his weaker form, he had found this something. But it wasn't enough just to look the part. Looking small and helpless didn't help when others knew you were not. To truly trick his audience, he would have to _be_ that person they wanted, needed, to see. And while they would still stare, and wonder, they would feel secure under the delusion that he wove for them.

So far, he had accomplished this. He had even fooled the one person he wished could see through his act, his disguise.

She had seen him in his stronger form more than any other living human had, but still thought of him as a boy. Even as he sapped her slowly of her life, she could think of him no differently, because in the end he always reverted back to his disguise, her childhood friend, her accomplice and confidant.

_A boy who calls himself a demon. _

She didn't think of him along the lines of "evil". Evil was what she fought everyday, what he helped her vanquish. Evil was a creature, human or demon, that killed others. She didn't associate him with the killing of life. The irony of that did not pass him by.

Even if she knew his past, he did not believe this would shake her conviction that he was essentially harmless, that at his core he was good.

He, himself, wasn't so sure of this.

_Chrono the Sinner._

_Killer of one hundred of his own kind._

"Chrono?"

The demon snapped out of his musings. Rosette was staring at him curiously.

His disguise had slipped. Sister Kate, along with a couple other nuns, was also staring at him. He felt a moment of panic. Sister Kate's expression was blank, but he could see her thoughts flickering in her eyes.

Quickly, he assumed his role. "Yeah?"

"Were you listening? Sister Kate just told us our new assignment," Rosette said, annoyance replacing her curiosity concerning Chrono's appearance a few seconds ago. Something had been different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but his expression...What had been going through his mind?

She couldn't think about that now. There had been a large massing of demons in an area near the site of the orphanage. This could be a new lead on Joshua. If Chrono had something on his mind that he needed to tell her, he would. Worrying about it now would only waste time best spent elsewhere.

"No, I stop listening once you and Sister Kate start talking. It's safest that way," he replied, lifting his hands over his ears and smiling.

"We weren't even yelling this time! Come 'ere you!" Rosette grabbed onto the smaller boy, her arm around his head, her other hand giving him her Super Noogie Attack.

"Ah! No!" cried Chrono, laughing, while giving the impression of trying to escape.

Sister Kate rolled her eyes, her earlier thoughts forgotten for the moment. "Enough fooling around, you two. Get moving, before I assign this to someone else."

About twenty minutes later the two were in one of the Order's newer cars, heading in the all too familiar direction of the orphanage.

Chrono looked at Rosette as she drove. Her face was set in a determined expression, eyes already seeing her brother.

One day he'd stop acting.

But not just yet.

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(End).

Uh...I don't know what to think of this...

Idea came when I was starting to write the 2nd chapter to 'Subconscious'. I still don't know if I'll continue that fic, but if I do, you might notice the "acting" theme in the first page or so of it.

I really do love Chrono. He's a rather complicated character, isn't he? I don't know if I really think he's like what I just wrote, but the idea came and practically forced me to write it. Feel free to disagree, lol.

Please review. They help make my world go 'round...


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